Christian Atsu Still Missing After Turkey Earthquake Despite Reports, Club Says

The whereabouts of Christian Atsu, knowledgeable soccer participant for the Turkish membership Hatayspor, remained unknown on Wednesday, membership officers stated, regardless of their earlier statements that he had been rescued from the rubble of the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria and was receiving medical therapy.

It was unclear whether or not Mr. Atsu, a Ghanaian nationwide, was nonetheless trapped beneath the rubble in Hatay Province, Turkey, or whether or not he had been eliminated however couldn’t be situated within the area’s overwhelmed hospitals. Hatay was one of many hardest-hit areas and had one of many highest dying tolls from the earthquake.

Mustafa Ozat, the staff’s vp, stated the knowledge he had been given when he informed a radio station on Tuesday that Mr. Atsu had been rescued was fallacious.

“I had obtained info that Christian Atsu was faraway from the rubble. Nonetheless, the knowledge obtained for the time being is that Atsu and our director Taner Savut are underneath the rubble,” Mr. Ozat informed the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet on Wednesday.

Ghana’s ambassador to Turkey, Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, informed the Ghanaian media outlet Joy Sports on Wednesday that the Turkish international ministry was nonetheless looking for Mr. Atsu in medical amenities, illustrating how tough it has develop into to speak or confirm info amid the earthquake’s destruction.

Ms. Ashietey-Odunton was in Ankara, the Turkish capital, and couldn’t journey to Hatay herself due to street and airport closures, she stated.

Within the hours earlier than the earthquake hit, Mr. Atsu had scored a profitable objective for Hatayspor in its match towards a staff from Istanbul. The destiny of Hatayspor’s different gamers stays unclear, and its supervisor, Volkan Demirel, has made public pleas for help.

“I believed the day of judgment had come. I instantly considered my gamers,” Mr. Demirel informed Hurriyet in regards to the second the earthquake hit.

“Could God not trigger such ache to anybody,” he added.

Seda Ozturk contributed translation.